A Christmas Gift
by zkcaskett
Summary: Beckett uses the Castle Christmas Tradition to let her husband in on the most recent addition to their family. An alternate ending but some spoilers for 7x10 Bad Santa. One-shot.


**A/N: A different angle to the 7x10 cliff-hanger and a bit of what I was hoping for. Although I quite enjoyed the episode, I was hoping for something a little more along these lines given the Christmas festivities.**

Okay so she is more than screwed. She's puking her guts out in the precinct bathroom after smelling the coffee Castle brought her. A coffee she was in dire need of. She knows what this means; she's not an idiot. But she doesn't know if she's ready for this. She's nervous to say the least and despite Castle's reassurances that she'll be a great mom one day, she doesn't know how to _be_ a mom. She tells herself not to panic, that it could be the flu, but she's been feeling it for the past few days. She knows what this is.

She's pregnant.

While Castle is out with doing God knows what with Dino, Kate tells the boys she has a hunch and needs to check up on some stuff at the crime scene. Ryan offers to go with her but she declines, telling him she won't be long.

Ryan does not need to know she is going to the drug store across the street to get a pregnancy test. Oh God, she could be pregnant. Now that the puking has passed she feels light. She feels _good_. She holds a hand to her abdomen as she enters the precinct elevator and smiles as she presses the button to return to the lobby.

Not even the winter chill can quell the elation she feels right now. Is it always like this? One minute she's doubting whether or not she's ready and the next she feels like she could skip and dance to the nearest convenience store. This is not her. It's not Kate Beckett. But she kind of likes it.

The lady at the counter gives her a soft smile as she sees what Kate is getting and she answers in kind.

"Do you need any help on how to use this?" She asks.

"Umm, no thanks, I think I'll be okay. Have a nice day," Kate answers as –she pears closer- Genevieve hands her the bag.

Hm. Genevieve is a nice name, she thinks. Could be shortened to Gen, or Genny, or Vivi. Okay no. She should not be getting ahead of herself. She needs to take the damn test and then she can worry about what comes next. But maybe she doesn't need to worry. Maybe it's all just a matter of planning. She knows Castle wants this and… She wants this too.

Kate returns from to the precinct, spots the boys in the break room who luckily haven't noticed her arrival and she heads straight to the ladies room.

Two little pink lines. She looks up at the test in her hands and sees two little pink lines. She's pregnant.

They are all gathered in the living room and she is wringing her hands in her lap. Castle notices and grabs hold of both her wrists, interlacing their fingers.

"See, this is why I told you, you should have run it by me first."

Kate gives him the best glare she can muster at the moment, but he only chuckles and leans in to kiss her cheek. "You'll do fine Kate, I know that whatever you write will be amazing. Plus, you've got the rest of your life to get better at it," he adds with a wink. She pokes him but he gets a grin out of her.

Oh, how she loves this man. She knows that telling him tonight is the right thing to do. Hell, she's been having trouble keeping the cat in the bag since the moment she found out. But getting it out in front of the rest of his family is going to be a challenge. She has it all planned out though, they've told her she's going last and she's back in senior year dreading oral presentations in front of the class.

But this is not something to dread. And she is prepared. She rehearsed. She's got this.

It's her turn. Martha and Alexis spoke of getting him back and Rick looked right at her when he mentioned getting married to the love of his life and now she's getting emotional. Her throat is slightly clogged, but she gets up from the couch as Castle moves in to take her spot and leans down to kiss her briefly but she needs more. He pulls back and she pushes up on her toes, bringing him back to her with her hand behind his head. Their lips meet once more in a languid kiss and she pulls back to look him in the eye. They smile at each other, and she leans in one last time to touch his lips to hers before she takes what seems to be the dedicated spot for their respectful recitals.

Kate takes a deep breath, closes her eyes briefly and opens them up to take in her family. She can do this.

"The year has been one of new families,

Through hardships and mutual love we came together, thankfully."

She looks at Alexis and Martha, who both supported her through what were the hardest two months of her life since she was nineteen.

"But finding you, I will always recall,

As you offered me the purest and greatest gift of all."

And now she focuses on Rick. The love of her life, whom she married and who still gives her the greatest of love she has ever experienced.

"There is nothing I thought I wanted more than to be your wife,

But I realized I was wrong when I discovered this new year would bring new life."

There is a pregnant pause (no pun intended). Castle looks at her, stock still. Alexis and Martha have their mouths open. But she has eyes only for Rick, her smile so wide it makes her cheeks ache but she can't stop. He gets up slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Kate nods and the tears come down and he breaks, rushing to pick her up in his arms, a choked "Kate, Kate, Kate," leaving his lips as he holds her tight. Her arms encircle his waist and a heavy sob of pure joy and lightheartedness leaves her chest. He pulls back, their noses touching, both his hands on her cheeks, "You're pregnant?" He asks, just to make sure it's real, that he's not dreaming, that he's not misunderstanding.

"I'm pregnant," she sobs again and reaches up to kiss him. It's heated and messy through the tears but it's them and filled with an unquenched passion, one that they both know will reign as long as they are together.

"We're having a baby," he whispers, his hand going to her abdomen, and she gets the feeling he's going to be doing that a lot. She doesn't mind one bit, relishes in the heat emanating from his hand. "I love you, Kate." His smile is bright and there are tears and she could live in this moment forever, just the two of them and the future they desperately await.

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Can Beckett get Pregnant already? Pretty please? I'm kind of begging. **


End file.
